About Tyler Purvis: A former walk-on for the Wolfpack, Purvis played wide receiver in high school but has transformed himself into a pass catching fullback. He also worked as a tight end during his redshirt freshman year in 2010. Last year he had five catches including a pair of touchdown grabs against Georgia Tech. Purvis is an officer in the NC State Uplifting Athletes Chapter.

As a player, what is your favorite part of game day you get to experience at your home stadium?

Purvis: My favorite part of the game day experience at Carter Finley would have to be running out of the tunnel. The smoke starts blowing in your face so you can’t see anything and then once you clear the smoke, you’re greeted by fireworks and 60,000 screaming fans. It is an awesome experience and gets you revved up for the game.

What is your most memorable experience as a college football player?

Purvis: My most memorable experience as a college football player would have to be when we played Georgia Tech last season. I was a redshirt freshman and second-string fullback at the time when the first string guy went down. I ended up playing the entire second half and ended with four catches, two of them being for touchdowns. I never thought playing fullback I would ever have two touchdowns in one game.

What drove you to get involved with Uplifting Athletes, and what if anything has this experience done for you?

Purvis: I got involved in Uplifting Athletes mainly because one of my roommates was the one who started the chapter here at NC State. I saw some of the activities he was doing and the difference that he was making and I wanted to be a part of something bigger than just Division 1 football. I know that I am very blessed to be in the position that I am currently in here at NC State and I wanted to take advantage of the opportunities that have been given to me to give back to those affected by rare diseases.

Facebook, Twitter or neither and why?

Purvis: I would have to go with Facebook only because I don’t have a Twitter and don’t really know much about it. I do use Facebook to keep in touch with all my friends and to see how everyone from back home is doing.

What is the toughest team you’ve faced or regularly play and what makes them so difficult?

Purvis: The toughest team that I have played is definitely Florida State. Everyone single one of their players is super fast and super athletic. They fly around and swarm to the ball.

What is your chosen major, and what if anything have you used from that major as a contribution to your Uplifting Athletes Chapter?

Purvis: I am majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing. With NC State being a new chapter, we had never done a Lift For Life event. This past year was our first time organizing a lift and I used the skills I learned about marketing and advertising to spread the word about the event to try to raise money and awareness.

Besides one of your teammates, name a college football player you enjoy watching?

Purvis: I personally like watching the Oregon Ducks running back De’Anthony Thomas play. I have never seen someone so explosive on the field. He has the ability to make a game changing play every time he touches the ball.

Who is your favorite NFL player and why?

Purvis: I would have to say that my favorite NFL player is Peyton Manning. He is one of the smartest football players I have ever seen play the game and he is an excellent leader.

What was or is the inspiration for the Rare Disease your Uplifting Athletes Chapter is raising money for to be part of the fight?

Purvis: NC State’s rare disease is Leukemia. We chose this disease because our Offensive Coordinator, Dana Bible, was diagnosed with it a few years ago. He is currently in remission and is an inspiration to all of us to always keep fighting.

What is your favorite road stadium to play in and why?

Purvis: My favorite road stadium to play in is probably Clemson. Their fans are so loud and create a great game day environment and I personally like their entrance onto to field with the release of all of the balloons and walking through the crowd to get to the field.